The Taming Of Cerberus
by Ms. Marla
Summary: How far would you go to save the one you love most?  Would you lay down your life? Or maybe your freedom?  In any case, some people are just not worth letting go.  [AH]
1. Charon

_A/N: So this is just a little thing I thought up. It will be relatively short, just a few chapters. I took half a pound of Greek mythology, two cups of Artemis Fowl, and just a dash of modern twists. Oh an of course a teaspoon of lame analogies as seen above. And as you know, I don't own Artemis Fowl. I only own this story. And I hope you enjoy it. Oh and, thanks to my awesome beta Nikki! She owns my elbows and such. _

--x--

**The Taming of Cerberus**

_Part One; Charon_

Artemis Fowl had died. On purpose of course. As the late Commander Julius Root had once said, "The great Artemis Fowl doesn't do anything by accident." There were few truer statements ever spoken. And Artemis, being great and all, planned an elaborate demise that screamed with eccentricities. He never carried out those plans though. They were simply too messy. And there was always the potential of sparking an international incident. As such, Artemis opted for a quick swallow of three too many painkillers; extra strength. Slowly, and obviously without pain, life ebbed away from Fowl Junior. Darkness clouded his vision and one last sharp intake of breath was heard by his ears alone. It was the end. Apparently.

After what seemed like brief moments, Artemis' eyes flew open; not that there was much difference between the colour of the back of his eyelids and the room in which he now stood. The young man, barely twenty-five, could not even see the ground on which he trod. The only light was a faint one, emitted from the crack beneath a door only a few steps away. Artemis, ever the intellectual, weighed his options. He could run towards the door and explore what lay on the other side, even though he had no idea where he was and that it could be potentially dangerous. His other option was to stand still and wait for someone to come find him, even though he had no idea how long that would take and that it could be potentially dangerous. Artemis was certainly not liking his options. But the longer he stood there, the gloomier he felt and the more he wanted to crawl up into a ball and die.

_Wait,_ something echoed inside his head, a far off voice, sounding much like his own, _You're already dead. The painkillers, genius. Remember?_

And Artemis remembered. Dead. That was very interesting. Perhaps he was in heaven, although he highly doubted heaven would be so depressing. Hell? No, certainly not. He had repented, seen the error of his criminal ways. Artemis Fowl did not belong in hell. He would challenge the devil himself on that matter. But if not heaven, and if not hell, then where? Perhaps the other side of the door held answers. It was worth a shot. Artemis approached the door and gripped the doorknob tight, noticing his hand was paler than usual. Unsurely, Artemis slid the door open. And what he saw almost made him laugh. Almost.

He now stood in a moderately lit room, full of people. Or what he had supposed were once people. Each humanoid, as he quickly nicknamed them, was nearly transparent, glowing a pearly grey colour. Artemis glanced down at his arms, legs, and torso, realizing that he too was the odd colour and just about as far from opaque as possible. He looked around the room and saw only one who did not resemble any of the other beings, standing behind a solid cherry wood podium. He was a solid form, although frail, with salt and pepper hair. He would have seemed like a harmless old man, had the billowing black robe he wore not ruined the entire illusion. Artemis studied him from across the room, making note of the double-edged hammer that rested on a chair beside him.

"Charon," he whispered to himself, "This is bloody impossible." Artemis' hands instantly lunged into his pockets, feeling around for something he knew had to be there. His fingers wrapped around a round, cold object. Oh yes, of course it was there. Artemis smirked, and in death his trademark smirk seemed more terrible, more ghastly. If he would have known such a thing his sole thoughts would have been _'All the better.'_

Artemis pushed his way through the crowd of spectres towards the robed man. He noticed that some of the spirits were faded more than others, as if they had been there longer. Artemis brushed past a woman whose long, colourless dress was tattered and ruined. She had been wearing it for centuries, judging by the medieval look to it. Artemis almost felt pity for all these spirits he pushed aside. They were all waiting, trying to get to the same place he was. But he had to get there sooner. Artemis Fowl had not died simply because. No, he died because he had a mission in death.

As Artemis approached the podium, the little old man looked up at him, a frown evident on his face, stretching all the way to his cold grey eyes. Artemis was amazed. Despite how old this man looked, his face did not hold a single wrinkle. His cheekbones were strong, as was his jaw.

"Ah, fresh meat," the old man's voice, which was surprisingly steady, knocked Artemis out of his stupor. The younger of the men said nothing, his fingers still fishing in his pocket. This time, rather nervously.

"Charon," Artemis finally spoke, his voice never betraying his sweaty palms, "I wish to be transported now."

"You and everyone else," Charon laughed roughly, "Get to the back of the line. I've got people who've been waiting here since the Bubonic Plague."

"I respect that Sir," Artemis continued, "But I have a rather important something to attend to down there."

"A rather important something?" Charon echoed in what could be described as a mocking tone, "Look kid, you wait for a ride on Styx, just like everyone else."

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that," Artemis smirked. For a moment, at the sight of the close to heartless smirk, Charon seemed to shudder. Fear ran behind his deep eyes. But the moment passed and he glared at Artemis, once more, with contempt. The young man continued smirking, pulling from his pocket what he had been toying with earlier. A solid gold coin, melted and reshaped from what he had stolen from the fairies. Charon's eyes glittered with greed. He reached for the coin, but Artemis pulled it back.

"Tsk-tsk," Artemis wagged a finger knowingly at Charon, "You don't get a single piece until I've reached the other side of Styx." Artemis placed the gold back in his pocket, the grey eyes narrowing in contempt. Charon, after a moment's indecision, stepped away from the podium.

"Fine," he tugged at the sleeve of Artemis' Armani suit, "Let's get this show on the road."

Artemis began to let Charon lead him to a door opposite the one he had entered from, but stopped, mid-step, looking back at the woman with the tattered gown. Charon huffed impatiently and turned back to see what was holding the impudent little mortal up.

"We're going to take her too," Artemis said. And as if the woman had been listening all along, she strode up to Artemis and his guide, a smile on her otherwise blank face.

"No way," Charon snapped, "The old hag hasn't got any money to pay me with. No money, no transport. End of story."

Artemis rolled his eyes dramatically and placed his hand back in his pocket, allowing the numerous coins to jingle happily. It was odd in such a dreary place. He noticed that Charon was eyeing his pocket hungrily.

"They're all solid gold," Artemis enticed, "And there's more than enough for both of us to ride."

Never had Artemis gotten two such different looks simultaneously. The woman looked ready to throw herself into his arms and bless him with a thousand thanks, while Charon looked as though he would take no small pleasure in ringing the mortal boy's neck. However, gold was tempting; too tempting to let pass. As such, Charon answered begrudgingly.

"Fine, I'll take the woman too. Follow me." Charon led them out the door, muttering something about being a puppet for stupid mortals. Artemis would have chuckled, had he not gasped at the overwhelming sight that met his eyes in the next room.

The trio stood on one side of a riverbank made of solid black rock. It smelled faintly like volcanic ash. Nauseating. The other side of the riverbank was not visible through the darkness, though Artemis could tell it was rather far away. The river, if Styx could even be called such, was enormous. The water was murky and it smelt of must. Small waves ebbed up on the shore, black as night. Artemis knew that the sooner he got across this river the better. Charon had already stalked over to the shore and was waiting for his passengers to follow. Artemis took a step forward, glancing at the woman behind him. She looked scared. Although scared hardly did the expression on her face justice. Artemis managed a smile, that even in death, seemed to warm her still heart. She followed her proverbial saviour to the shores where Charon was waiting.

"Finally," he muttered, shooting the two a dirty look. It was obvious he hated his job; for an obvious reason. Artemis stared out into the water. And that was a problem. He saw nothing other than water.

"How are we getting across?" he asked.

"Swimming," Charon sneered sarcastically, "You mortals and your stupid questions." Charon rubbed his hands together and raised them above his head, muttering in a language Artemis could not understand. He caught snippets of Greek, but most of the words seemed to belong to a language long since buried. As Charon spoke, or rather hissed, a long black boat rose up from the depths of the river Styx. The front of the boat housed a curved decoration that Artemis recognized as a human spine.

_Lovely,_ he thought, _Utterly charming._

"What are you waiting for?" Charon asked, side-stepping into the boat, "I don't have all eternity." Artemis helped his female companion onto the boat and, after she was safely on board, he gazed wistfully at the direction from which he came. The young man wished he could have brought all the waiting souls, but he did not have nearly enough gold to convince Charon to do such a thing. And besides that, he would need some for the return journey. Because Artemis Fowl did not plan on staying dead forever.

As soon as Artemis had both feet in the boat, Charon snapped his fingers and an oar appeared in his thin hands. He began to row through Styx, named for hate, a dreadful smile plastered on his face.

"Next stop, Hades," he crowed. Then he turned to face Artemis. "You should have waited the thousand years kid. Once you're down here, there's no coming back. And I doubt your manicured hands are going to like it one bit."

"I doubt that as well," Artemis nodded, almost smugly, "But I also doubt that there's no way back."

Charon let out a mirthful laugh, as though he were going to enjoy the eternal torment that he led Artemis to. Little did he know that Artemis had no intention on spending eternity in The Fields of Asphodel.

The boat inched forward for what seemed like hours until finally the water seemed to become less shallow and Artemis heard a faint growling somewhere in the distance. Charon chuckled again.

"Sounds like old Cerberus is hungry. I'd watch my back if I were you."

"Thank you for that wondrous advice," Artemis muttered as the bottom of the boat collided with the shoreline of the lower part of the Underworld.

"Yeah, yeah," Charon said, pushing the pair out of his boat, "Get a move on. And give me my gold. Two coins each."

"Stingy," Artemis commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Two gold coins," Charon growled. It almost seemed to rival the vocal sounds of the distant Cerberus. Artemis pulled four golden coins from his pocket and tossed them to Charon.

"Thank you for the ride," Artemis nodded to their guide. Charon grunted in response, staring directly into Artemis' eyes.

"I have one question though," Artemis spoke up, breaking the intense silence that had fallen.

"And I've got no answers," Charon retorted, "But I've got some friendly advice."

"And that is?" 

"Watch out for Eurydice. She's a bit…out there."

With that strange advice, the boat sunk back into Styx, Charon and all. Artemis watched with interest until the tip of the spinal chord disappeared under black waves. When the boat was gone, Artemis turned to his female companion. She was looking at him strangely.

"Thank you," she spoke her first words since Artemis had met her. The woman's voice sounded distant, as if she hadn't spoken in decades.

"It was the least I could do," he replied, "So where do we go from here? I have absolutely no idea what I'm even doing here."

"I go this way," she said, still looking at Artemis as though he were about to explode and leave her covered in spectre juice. Her hand stretched out and pointed to gates a few feet off, where many souls waited. Artemis reasoned that that was the place of judgement.

"Very well, let's go." Artemis took a step towards the gates, but the girl shook her head.

"You go that way," she pointed in the opposite direction, where a tiny cabin stood near the bank of the river.

"But…what is it?" Artemis asked, "Who lives there? Why do I go there?" 

"You're a brave man," she spoke sadly now, "Charon knew such. May luck be with you." She crept down the path that led to the gates. Artemis stared after her for a few moments until he regained his senses. Maybe Charon knew what he planned to do. Maybe this cottage would be helpful with his plan. He hoped so.

At a brisk pace, at least as brisk as dead allowed, Artemis set out towards the cabin, remembering Charon's words.

"_Watch out for Eurydice. She's a bit…out there."_

--x--

_A/N: Well, what did you think? Reviews are welcome, as is constructive criticism. Everything helps. So please, review. And stay tuned for the next part. Cheers!_

_-Liv. _


	2. Eurydice

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Sorry it took me so long to update. I hope this is worth the wait. Also, the reason I placed Eurydice into this story is so you can all see the mirrored idea that I've produced. Enjoy!_

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_Part Two; Eurydice_

The black pebble beach was littered with bones washed ashore from Styx. Artemis crept towards the cottage, avoiding the decaying human skulls, his footsteps as silent as the dead of night. As he neared the tiny dwelling, he could see a dim candlelight shining through a dirty window. The effect was so minimal, that if the candle were to be blown out, no difference would be visible.

Once he reached the door, he took a moment to observe and swallow his surroundings. The cottage was constructed of black bricks, seemingly held together by the shadows. Had it not been so daunting, Artemis would have been impressed. Apprehensively, the man reached out and knocked on the door. There was no immediate response; the only sound was that of a distant growl that vaguely resembled thunder. Said rumbling had him hoping that he would never come face to face with Cerberus, the guardian. Artemis felt his heart grow heavy with sorrow as more answerless moments passed. Perhaps there was no one inside. Perhaps his entire journey was pointless. He turned half-heartedly, ready to walk back down the beach and be judged; now feeling truly dead. However, just as he stepped away from the cabin, Artemis heard the creaking of a door that had not been used in centuries. He turned sharply and saw two sea green eyes staring at him from the shadows. Cautiously, Artemis took two steps forward.

"Eurydice?" It was a guess, at best, taken only from what little information Charon had divulged.

There was no verbal answer from the owner of the mystifying eyes. Instead, the door of the cottage opened fully and a tall, slender woman, who looked no older than twenty, stepped onto the shores of Styx. Neat, white braids fell to her waist, tied with loopy black ribbons. Her skin was nearly as white as her hair, offset by a flowing black peasant skirt and a t-shirt. Artemis was confused to find that she was not, in any way, dressed like Charon. In fact, had her presence not been so intimidating, she would seem almost friendly. The stunning woman moved towards Artemis, her skirt brushing along the beach. Her pace was so fluid Artemis had a sneaking suspicion that she was floating, not walking. She stopped only inches away from Artemis and stared at him, looking him over, apparently sizing him up.

"Why are you here?"

Her voice was as soft as an early April shower, even if her features were impassable, not showing any hint of kindness nor hostility. Although, neither was better than the latter. Artemis thought about her question for a moment, pursing his lips.

"Charon mentioned you," he finally answered. Eurydice's nose wrinkled with dislike and her eyes flashed with contempt. Artemis hoped he had not angered her. That could be disastrous for his mission. Eurydice said nothing for a few moments, and suddenly turned back to her cottage. Artemis felt panic rise in his throat. Was she going to leave him out on the dreadful beach without so much as an explanation?

"Follow me," she muttered, walking inside. Artemis, his panic instantly doused, obeyed and entered her home, his jaw dropping in pure amazement.

The inside of the cottage was anything but similar to the dull and dreary outside. Contrary to what Artemis had previously thought, the one room home was brightly lit with pot lights, installed in the stucco ceiling. Oddly enough, it screamed 'new millennium.'

"It's an enchantment," Eurydice said, apparently reading Artemis' thoughts, "The modernism seems to annoy Charon, so I have to keep it inside. He's so old fashioned. I swear it's high time he realizes that the world has grown up, and the Underworld has to follow suit. Only Persephone seems to understand, what with her visits to the mortal realm and all. Thank Zeus for those."

Artemis was shocked into silence, still contemplating the presence of pot lights in the Underworld. He gazed around the rest of the room and saw various modern items strewn around, including the most recent issue of Vogue. Eurydice, who seemed to grow fed up with her visitor's silence, snapped her fingers in his face. Artemis blinked back to reality.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, "But…what? And this is the Underworld?"

"What gave it away?" Eurydice asked sarcastically, "The textbook image you mortals have created? I told Hercules to keep his mouth shut." The female sat down at the wooden table which was housed in the center of the room, motioning at the only other chair at the table, indicating that Artemis should do the same. He gladly accepted the offer; afraid that he would collapse is this got any stranger.

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?" Eurydice inquired, her pale lips unable to decide whether to smile or frown. Artemis shook his head.

"Well then," she smiled, "We'll begin with the introductions. I'm Eurydice, servant of Persephone. And you are?"

"Servant of Persephone?" Artemis echoed with genuine awe, "Is that really how the story ended?"

"Introductions now, explanations later," Eurydice said in a falsely bright tone. Artemis got the distinct feeling she did not like talking about the past. He decided to respect that. As of right now, Eurydice's word was law.

"My name is Artemis Fowl the Second," he said, reaching out with a pearly hand. Eurydice did not take it. Instead she smiled slyly, tapping a thin finger on her cheek.

"The goddess of the hunt," she mused aloud, "Interesting. Are you hunting something Artemis?"

"I am," he replied. Her words were a clear invitation to explain why he had knocked on her door, but first… "Would you care to answer me something though?"

"Depends," Eurydice shrugged. Artemis breathed out through his nose. He had questions, and Eurydice would provide him with the answers, whether she liked it or not. 

"Why am I here?" The first question. "I mean, this is the Underworld. I'm not Greek. Nor am I ancient. I'm…"

"Not sure," Eurydice finished his sentence with her own words. Artemis raised an eyebrow in question.

"Pardon me?"

"You're not sure," Eurydice repeated, "About the great beyond. You see, everyone gets a different life after death, depending on what they believe. Say you believe in reincarnation. Well then, you keep getting reincarnated until you reach Nirvana or Brahman, whatever is most appealing to the specific individual. Christians get their heaven, hell, and purgatory. And so on and so forth. Make sense?"

"I suppose, but that still doesn't explain why I'm seeing this."

"Well," Eurydice continued, "We used to get quite a high frequency of souls down here; thousands every day. But then, new religions starting forming, people began to believe in other things. Now, the only ones we get, actually passing the gates down here are the people who aren't sure what comes after, mostly the atheists and agnostics."

"Interesting," Artemis nodded. It made sense, that for all the different lifestyles there were for the living, there would be equally as many for the dead.

"What about fairies?" The second question.

He couldn't help but to ask. After all, it was why he had overdosed in the first place. Eurydice looked at him sideways, as if to make sure he was being serious.

"You know about the fairies?"

"I do. Are there any of them down here?"

"Well duh," Eurydice said, and Artemis was reminded vaguely of Juliet, "They just don't get down here by means of the moron."

"Means of…?"

"Charon. We're not so fond of each other." Artemis nodded. He had a sneaking suspicion that their dislike stemmed from something far more ancient than Vogue magazine, not that he cared to mention it. The innocent young lady act did not fool him. He was in the Underworld; everything here had its own hidden evil.

"Right, so how do the fairies get here?"

"It's simple really," Eurydice told him, tapping her red fingernails on the table, "Every dead soul is here. Every dead soul is in heaven or hell. It's just we see things differently. Whatever the fairy believes is what they're seeing. Currently, all Christians will see you in Purgatory. Easy as that. Now, are all your questions answered?"

Artemis nodded unsurely. For now, he was content with the information that had just been fed to him.

"Good," his hostess said happily, "My turn."

He had expected as much, although he was not quite sure what to say when the question was asked.

"Why are you here?" Yes, of course she would have asked that again. He had not answered the first time. It was the sensible thing to do.

"I'm here because I've died," Artemis replied coolly, hoping to keep his nonchalant manner. Eurydice rolled her eyes.

"I'm not stupid. No one ever visits me unless Charon mentions it to them. That's the one good thing about him I suppose. He always senses when I'm needed. Although, I had started to think he became lazy. You're my first guest in over a thousand years."

"I guess love has lost its meaning," Artemis said quietly. Eurydice's eyes grew wide and the tapping of her nails stopped suddenly.

"You're young, you don't understand," she muttered darkly, "Only fools fall in love."

Artemis was not thrilled with the fact that everyone insisted on calling him young in the Underworld. Then again, both Charon and Eurydice were centuries older than him.

"Perhaps," Artemis nodded delicately, "Orpheus was in love, no?"

"He was a fool as well," Eurydice whispered, her voice devoid of any emotion, "He betrayed the trust of the Queen. He looked back and I was left here alone. Persephone, may Zeus bless her, took pity on me and kept me as a servant, instead of sending me back to the miserable Fields of Asphodel. Love is a fool's word."

"Then I am a fool." 

Realization suddenly seemed to hit Eurydice, and a look of horror crossed her features, making her look centuries older.

"You're here to recover your lost love," she hissed, "Are you crazy? You'll never succeed. Your suicide was stupid and useless Artemis. Get out of my house! I can't believe someone would actually be stupid enough to think…"

"I never said anything about suicide," Artemis interrupted. Eurydice stood up and glided over to the mortal. She seemed to grow three feet in height and was now a rather imposing figure.

"I know," she said, "But you're obvious. You lose a loved one and decide to take your own life because you can't live without her. It's pathetic! You should have just lived your last fifty something years and forgotten about her."

"Orpheus never forgot about you, did he?" Artemis asked, "What was it like when he came down here after his real death, the one he couldn't escape?"

Eurydice fell silent. The power this mortal man held within his words amazed her. She moved to the window of the cottage, gazing out over the darkened beach, recalling a day, even thousands of years later, she could not forget.

_The crowded boat hit the rocky beach as the maiden watched silently from her window. Souls stepped off the vessel one by one. She knew he was among them; Persephone had told her so. She was under strict instruction to not leave the cottage that day, no matter what. And then, she saw him._

_She smiled at the fact that he still held his lyre, but any trace of a smile disappeared when she laid her eyes upon his ashen face, even in death soaked by tears. And then she heard him._

_He was crying out for her, shouting her name at the top of his lungs. She pretended not to hear, under orders of the Queen. And yet, it broke her heart to hear his heart wrenching sobs._

_And Charon pushed him along, towards the line of the waiting. The frail old man knew all about the situation, sticking his rat-like nose in places it did not belong. He glanced back at the cottage and winked, knowing she was watching from the window._

"No," Eurydice said sorrow seeping through her words, "He never forgot."

A silence fell upon the room, broken by Artemis' chair scraping across the floor. Moments later, he found himself by Eurydice's side, a hand on her shoulder, offering as much comfort as he could.

"I need your help," he said imploringly, "She wasn't supposed to die. She was supposed to outlive me by centuries."

Eurydice turned to face her visitor, he vivid emerald eyes brimming with tears.

"There isn't much I can do," she whispered, "Not for a bloody fool like you."

"Anything," Artemis was desperate now, "I gave up my life, even if it means seeing her one last time. There must be something…"

Eurydice held up her hand to silence him and he immediately bit his tongue. She seemed to be thinking, which was always a good sign. Finally, the woman let out a deep sigh.

"I can do one thing," she muttered, "But only because you're the closest thing to a gentleman I've seen in ages."

She held out her hand, and this time Artemis hesitated to grab it. Eurydice glared at him expectantly.

"Take it," she ordered, "And hold on tight, unless you want to end up a snack for one of Cerberus' heads."

Without another thought, Artemis grabbed Eurydice's hand. Dog chow did not sound so pleasant. Not while there was work to be done. As soon as their hands connected, Eurydice snapped her thin fingers. Artemis' eyes were met with a distorted reality, sceneries changing so fast before him; he had no time to process what he was seeing, save three pairs of glowing red eyes. After mere seconds, a solid setting came into view.

Artemis, Eurydice still by his side, was standing in a vast entrance hall, no doubt the palace of Hades and Persephone. The entire castle seemed to be engulfed by shadows and darkness.

"They don't exactly roll out the welcome mat," Eurydice commented, waving her hand around. She shoved Artemis towards a large door on the left side of the hall.

"Remember, be respectful, talk quickly, and make sure they know exactly what you want. Or else, you're screwed. Good luck."

With another snap of her fingers, Eurydice had vanished, leaving poor Artemis by himself. He wondered if he was really ready for an audience with Hades and Persephone.

--x--

_A/N: You know the drill. Reviews are much loved as are you beautiful children reading this. Thanks a billion! Cheers!_

_-Liv xoxo_


	3. Persephone

_A/N: Hey everyone. I'm so unbelievably sorry that I've kept you waiting for so long. I do hope you'll forgive me. Anyways, here's an update. It is more than likely that this is the second-last chapter of the story, seeing as how it is a relatively short story. Enjoy!_

-x-x-x-x-

**Part Three; Persephone**

Artemis, now alone, chewed his bottom lip nervously, staring at the massive black doors adjacent to where he stood. Once he entered there, his fate would be decided. He just hoped that the King and Queen of the dead were feeling cheery that day. He mentally jogged through his conversation with Eurydice, focusing mainly on the last piece of advice she had delivered to him. Drawing a deep and courageous breath, Artemis approached the smoky black doors. As he raised his hand to knock and announce his arrival, the doors opened without a sound, the silence more ominous than any noise could have been. The man stood dumbstruck, contemplating whether or not he should enter, when a great voice boomed from inside the throne room.

"Enter," it commanded. The voice was male, strong and deep. Artemis felt a chill run down his spine at the sound. There was no doubt in his mind about who the owner of the spectacular voice was. It had to be Hades, Lord of the Underworld.

Bravely, Artemis took a step forward, placing one foot into the room. His body temperature instantly plummeted. He felt as though he were slowly turning to ice. Deciding to ignore the terrible freezing feeling that gnawed at him, Artemis entered the shadowy throne room fully. If he were still able to draw air in and out of his lungs, he would have gasped at the impressive sight.

The throne room was, unlike the rest of the castle, not made of shadows. The floor was solid black cobblestone and the ceiling housed magnificent marble arches, decorated with brilliant gold chandeliers, the only source of light in the rather dark room. On the walls, hung marvellous tapestries, completed with a grey tinge, depicting the greatest of all Greek tragedies; the opening of Pandora's Box, the Trojan War, even the failure of Orpheus. At the far end of the room, slightly raised on a stone platform, were two solid gold thrones, each occupied by a regal figure.

On the left sat Hades, clothed in a billowing black robe, not unlike Charon's, yet much more worthy of royalty. His hair was jet black, hanging in messy curls to somewhere around his proud, thin cheekbones. His eyes glowed pale blue against his grey skin. They seemed to hold an incomprehensible knowledge, something that no one else understood. The way he sat, with his shoulders straight and confident, gave off the impression of deep intelligence. Next to him was a woman, whose beauty could hardly be matched. Her skin was softer and milkier than even Eurydice's and her large eyes were a deep, mysterious chestnut colour, full of intrigue and ancient sorrow. She was dressed in a manner similar to that of her servant, a long black skirt and matching blazer. Her raven locks hung in long spiralling curls, brushing the stone floor around the throne. Artemis noticed, with justified disgust, that a live black spider was dangling from each of her ears, as if they were her choice accessory. After a moment's more observation, Artemis remembered his purpose and bowed his head respectfully.

"Lord Hades," he murmured, "Lady Persephone."

Not a sound was made throughout the chamber. Artemis felt the eyes of the gods boring into the back of his neck and he straightened up. As he caught sight of their faces, he noticed that they each wore a different expression. Hades was frowning, looking almost disappointed while Persephone was smiling with certain wryness.

"What do you want mortal?"

The question was posed by Hades, who was staring at Artemis with a tiny bit of dislike. The man wasn't sure how to reply. Hades was quite an imposing figure and Artemis did not want to upset him. Thankfully, he was saved having to reply by Persephone, who had held up a hand to her husband's lips.

"Hush," she hissed, "You're so intolerable sometimes. It's no wonder we never get any guests." Hades' eyes flashed murderously and he muttered something about 'regretting that stupid pomegranate' as he resumed quietly staring at Artemis. Persephone, still wearing her strange smile turned back to the guest that stood in front of her throne.

"You're new," she said, almost as if to herself, "Interesting." Persephone ran her long fingers down her cheek, as if she were thinking. Hades looked irritably at his wife, then back at the mortal she was surveying.

"Well then," he blurted, "What are we waiting for? Send him to the judges, or shall I get Cerberus to come and fetch him?" Persephone rolled her eyes and shook her head ever so slightly.

"As much as I'm sure old Cerberus would love to play a game of fetch, this boy does not look like a frisbee to me."

"No, but the poor thing _is_ hungry."

"Absolutely no feeding guests to the dog!" Persephone exclaimed, her eyes full of anger, "Perhaps I should deal with the boy. Why don't you…go count spirits or something?"

Hades stood up and for the first time, Artemis noticed how tall the god was. He seemed to tower over eight feet. Lord Hades grumbled as he stalked out of the throne room, his robe fluttering around where his feet should have been. Like Eurydice, he seemed to float when he walked. As Hades left the room, Artemis took note of how the temperature of the room returned to normal and he no longer felt as though he had taken a nap in a deep freezer. It was as if Hades was an air conditioner that could not be turned off.

"Thank Zeus for feminism," Persephone muttered to herself before turning back to Artemis about to pull him from his reverie. "You must forgive my husband. He really is a good god, but he doesn't seem to understand some things. He doesn't know what death does to those who are still alive. Although, I am thankful for that. I fear that if he understood emotion, the world would be overpopulated."

Artemis stared at the goddess, captivated by her intelligent words. He nodded quickly and respectfully. Persephone's sly grin reappeared as she studied Artemis, perhaps more intensely than before.

"What is your name boy?"

"Artemis," he answered in a voice that did not betray his nerves. Persephone looked thoughtful once more. She lifted one hand to tuck a stray strand of hair away from her face. As she did so, the spider that dangled from her ear jumped onto her hand, weaving through her slim fingers. For a few excruciatingly long moments, Persephone seemed preoccupied with her pet, before she realized that the habit of playing with a spider was disturbing Artemis, who had never liked the little eight-legged creatures.

"Oh," her cheeks turned pale pink, "I'm terribly sorry." She dropped the spider and it scurried off into a dark corner. Artemis blinked a few times, utterly bewildered by Persephone, who once again called him closer. He obeyed, just barely, taking two steps towards the golden throne.

"You share a name with the huntress," Persephone stated once Artemis was standing still once more, "I find that interesting. You must have impressed someone along the way. As I said, you're fresh." She stared at him with such intensity that Artemis was sure she could see right through his façade of cool and collected.

He said nothing in response, and so Persephone continued. "Who instructed to you come and visit?"

Artemis bit his lip. She didn't sound unhappy, but she certainly did not give off the air of one that was pleased. He had quite liked Eurydice and did not want to get her into trouble, but something in Persephone's eyes made him think she already knew the truth.

"Eurydice brought me," he said, "But I only found her on instruction from Charon."

There, that was an alright answer. At least Eurydice could share eternal punishment with someone. But Persephone did not look miffed in the least. Instead, she nodded knowingly.

"Tell me, how did you convince the girl to bring you here?"

"I…I talked to her about Orpheus."

"Ah," Persephone sighed, "Very predictable, hardly worthy of recognition. But you're here now, and that is something immensely impressive. I don't usual keep guests for so long. It is funny though."

"Pardon?" Artemis was confused. He saw absolutely nothing funny within the room, not with the dark and macabre mood Hades had set with his mere presence.

"It's funny," Persephone repeated, "That you would speak about Orpheus when you're exactly like him, only less musically inclined, which is quite saddening. Music around here is absolutely dead."

Artemis blinked stupidly, ignoring the pun, which caused Persephone to giggle softly. How had she known? Had Eurydice somehow told her? No, it was impossible. He recalled her instructions, to be clear and to the point. Enough was enough. No more stupid lapses in concentration and thought. Clear and to the point.

"You're right Lady Persephone," Artemis began, "I am here because I lost a loved one. She was…is very important to me, and I would like to get her back. Her name is…"

"Holly Short," Persephone interrupted, "I know. In fact, I've been expecting you. It amazes me how quick you've come. In fact, it impresses me. You're wife put up quite the struggle with Charon. He brought her straight to me. She refused to believe she was dead. Nearly bit Charon's head off, although that wouldn't have made the wall of great tragedies. She kept yelling about Artemis, and I thought she was speaking of the huntress. Until, of course, she called me Frond."

Artemis smiled to himself. That was definitely Holly, still spunky in death. He stared up at Persephone, whose expression was still etched in stone.

"Please my lady," he continued, "I would give anything to see her again. I have to."

"Yes, yes of course you do," Persephone said with exasperation. She stood up and took a step towards her mortal guest. Artemis felt a wave of relief sweep over him. Was she going to take him to see Holly? That would be wondrous. However, when he caught the expression on Persephone's face, all relief flooded out of his body faster than he ever thought possible. She was grinning again, her eyes playful and dangerous.

"Of course I'd let you see her Artemis," she smiled, "But first you must prove yourself worthy. There are few who can do such a thing. I have…high expectations."

Artemis gulped. Persephone snapped her fingers and Eurydice appeared in the corner of the throne room. Her eyes went wide when they rested upon Artemis. She looked scared and amazed all at once. Artemis tried to ignore her looks, which clearly screamed out 'You're insane', and looked back at Persephone, who had seated herself on the throne once again.

"What is my task…your majesty?" He quickly added the last part, eager to get as many 'good' points as possible. Persephone tapped a finger against her pale lips.

"You, Artemis Fowl, will attempt to tame Cerberus."

He heard a low groan come from the corner in which Eurydice was standing and became instantly afraid. He had good reason though. There was nothing fun or inviting about taming a three headed, carnivorous dog. Not to mention, one that probably hadn't eaten much in a century.

"If you succeed," Persephone continued, "You will be reunited with your love. I will send both of you back to the land of the living, granting you with immortality, until she perishes again. You will die together. However, if you fail, your fate is in the hands…or rather the jaws of Cerberus. I hope you do not disappoint. Eurydice will help you prepare. You have five hours."

Persephone turned to look at her servant, her face an unreadable mask. Eurydice nodded and approached Artemis, grabbing his wrist. She quickly bowed to the Queen, Artemis following her example, and snapped her fingers. In an instant, the man found himself back in the tiny cottage on the shores of Styx. Eurydice had already thrown herself onto a chair, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.

"You're crazy," she muttered in the general direction of Artemis. "Do you really think you can actually tame Cerberus?"

"It's been done before, no?" Artemis asked, mostly just to reassure himself. Eurydice let out some sort of shrieking sound, looking as though she were having a mental debate. Choice one, rip her own hair out in frustration. Choice two, ring the neck of the annoying mortal.

"Three times," she hissed, "Hercules, Hermes, and…Orpheus." The last name had her voice holding much more sorrow. She was barely able to speak it.

"So," Artemis said, breaking the spell of sadness, "Why can't I do it too?" 

"Don't be foolish!" Eurydice slapped the back of his head and, although she had delicate hands, it had hurt. "You are not a god like Hermes. You are not strong like Hercules. And you are not as talented as Orpheus. You do not even have an instrument."

Eurydice fell silent and Artemis fell into thought. There had to be some way. Hermes had beaten Cerberus using water from the river Lethe; perhaps he could do the same thing and make Cerberus forget what he was guarding. But that would most likely not work. Persephone would be unimpressed, and that would spell out disaster for him and Holly. Eurydice had to know something that could help him. He looked up at her and found that she was staring right at him with a pitiful stare.

"What?" He looked back at her quizzically. The amount of pity in her eyes grew.

"You're doomed."

-x-x-x-x-

_A/N: Well I hope you liked that! And I sincerely hope it was worth the wait. Review and let me know what you think. I'm also taking a poll. Happy ending or tragic? I have ideas for both, so let me know what you want. Cheers!_

_-Liv xoxo_


	4. Cerberus

_A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for all the reviews and for all of you who gave me feedback about what kind of ending you'd want to see. I'm sad to say this is the final part of the story, because I really have grown to love this thing. Anyways, I'll get right on with it. Here's part four. Enjoy!_

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**Part Four; Cerberus**

Artemis stared at Eurydice for a long time with an unexplainable expression on his face. The ghostly woman had begun to get annoyed with her, as she had labelled him, eccentric guest, when he finally decided to reply.

"Doomed is a very harsh word," he said, "Perhaps greatly challenged. Or severely outmatched. Certainly not doomed."

Eurydice blinked stupidly at him. She shook her head and closed her eyes, attempting to gather her thoughts. Much to her growing annoyance, her gathering was interrupted by the sound of Artemis' voice.

"Can you help me?" he asked. She felt his hand lightly tap her wrist and she instantly recoiled.

"No," Eurydice replied, "I can't." Artemis did not seem to buy her answer. He pursed his lips and pressed on, knowing that Eurydice's advice was probably his only key to success. And besides, her response didn't sound all that sincere.

"You can't or you won't?"

Eurydice fixed her cold eyes upon his face, unblinkingly. If looks could kill…well, actually, that wouldn't have made much difference. And, very suddenly, the look on Eurydice's face changed from anger to sadness, as she still stared into his face.

"I don't need another fallen hero on my conscience," she muttered, finally breaking her gaze and staring intently at the surface of the table. Artemis frowned deeply.

"Look," he said as softly as he could, "If you help me, I won't fail. I just need an idea." Eurydice seemed to think about it for a moment. And for a moment the entire room was silent. Artemis could hear low growling in the distance. Eurydice must've heard the ominous sound as well, because she came out of her daze, a fiery look in her eyes.

"There's one thing," she said quickly, "Hermes was going to try it, but he was too afraid. Persephone knows that, so if you go through with it, she'll think you're really brave. And if you succeed…then wow…I can't even imagine how impressed she'd be. Now really, you should have nothing to worry about, because you're already dead. But I guess if old Cerb gets in a bite or scratch that would be fatal to Hercules, well then you fail. But it'll be okay. You won't feel anything. So how about it?"

"You want me to try something a god was afraid of?" Artemis was amazed. What could possibly frighten an Olympian? What could possibly harm an Olympian?

"Isn't that what I just said?" Eurydice quipped, "Are you going to do it or not?"

Artemis seriously considered it for a moment. He certainly wanted to save Holly, but was it really worth trying something that Hermes himself was afraid to do. Of course it was. Holly was worth anything. He had died for her and there was no greater sacrifice than one's own life.

"I'll do it," Artemis finally answered, his voice almost completely steady.

"Good," Eurydice said. She hurried over to a wooden cabinet on the far side of the room and threw open the doors. Artemis saw several glass vials lined up on the shelves, each containing a different coloured liquid. Eurydice ran her pale fingers along the middle shelf, muttering under her breath. She stopped about halfway through and pulled a vial filled with bright orange liquid from the shelf.

"This," she said, turning to Artemis, "Is your best bet." She handed him the vial and he studied the contents, shaking them around a little bit. It was the most beautiful shade of orange he had ever seen.

"What is it?" Artemis asked, his eyes never leaving the uniquely coloured liquid.

"It's water," Eurydice said in a matter-of-fact tone, "From the River Phlegethon."

"The river of fire," Artemis muttered, instantly understanding the orange tone of the liquid. "What do I do with it?"

"You drink it," Eurydice said, "Obviously."

"Isn't this exactly like what Hermes did?" Artemis asked, afraid the Persephone would find his approach boring and mediocre.

"I told you already," Eurydice sighed exasperatedly, "He was too afraid to drink it. He simply gave Cerberus water from the Lethe. Two very different methods if you ask me. Different rivers and different consumers."

"Why was Hermes afraid?"

"Because," Eurydice began to explain, "No one has ever tried water from Phlegethon before. It is rumoured to give the drinker great powers, but at an unknown cost. It's risky, I know, but unless you can think of something better in forty minutes…it's what you're stuck with."

Nothing that she had said registered with Artemis, save for the mention of how much time he had left before his battle. Forty minutes. He could've sworn…

"Persephone said five hours"

"I heard her," Eurydice nodded, "And it has been nearly five hours. Time passes differently in the Underworld. Much quicker. I mean, we have a lot of it, what with the whole eternity thing. Are you going to drink it or not?"

Artemis shook the vial around once more and nodded. It was his only chance to save Holly. Slowly and with uncertainty, he popped the cork off the glass and brought the vial up to his lips. Eurydice nodded and the man took a long swig, swallowing every last drop of the water.

Immediately, his throat began to burn and his skin tingled. Pain coursed through him, making him feel as though every bone in his body had spontaneously combusted. He fell to his knees and shook violently. Eurydice's eyes grew wide and she dropped to the floor, grabbing at Artemis' trembling form.

And just as quickly as it had started, the severe shaking stopped. Artemis sat on the floor, panting. He looked up at Eurydice, who was studying him curiously.

"Are you okay?" she gasped, "How do you feel?"

Artemis thought about it for a moment. He didn't feel very different, perhaps just a few degrees warmer than he had for the entirety of his time in the Underworld. Finally, he looked up at Eurydice, who was still staring at him.

"I feel the same," he said. Eurydice looked disappointed, a frown on her lips and a crease above her brow. She held out her hand cautiously.

"Stand up," she instructed. Artemis obeyed, reaching for her hand, and together they stood up. Once standing, Eurydice began to pace again. Artemis could almost see the gears turning in her head.

"Did it work?" Artemis asked tentatively.

"Not sure," Eurydice shrugged, "But we have no more time. Persephone hates bad punctuality." She grabbed Artemis' hands and once more he felt himself being pulled through various areas of the Underworld. When they came to a stop, Artemis took a moment to register his surroundings.

He and Eurydice seemed to be standing in a very dim cave, lit only by the presence of Persephone, who stood a few feet away, the terrible smile still on her lips. The cave smelled ancient and a little bit like wet dog. Artemis heard a river rushing just outside and used his better judgement to determine that it was Styx.

This could only mean one thing. This cave was the home of Cerberus.

As if on cue, the great beast growled, making the hairs on the back of Artemis' neck stand on end. He heard a sharp intake of breath from Eurydice.

"Artemis Fowl," Persephone spoke in a regal voice. She seemed much more ominous now than she had in the throne room. "Your job is to tame the guardian of the Underworld. You know what is on the line. And to make your task a bit more interesting…"

Persephone snapped her fingers and Artemis felt strange. He looked down at his arms and legs, noticing that the colour was rapidly returning to his flesh and his clothes. Eurydice let out a small whimper.

"What's happening?" Artemis muttered. It certainly wasn't a bad feeling, although he had a sneaking suspicion that the repercussions of regaining his colour would be quite terrible.

"You're alive again," she hissed, "A mortal. This is bad…oh gods."

Artemis paled considerably, looking strangely like a ghost again. If Cerberus hurt him, he would certainly feel it. Perhaps Eurydice wasn't too far off with the whole doomed concept.

"Any last tips?" Artemis whispered, "You know, before I die…again."

"Lead him out of the cave. He doesn't like water all that much. Or heat. Good luck."

And with that she snapped her fingers and disappeared. Persephone gave him one last smile and followed her, leaving Artemis alone in the cave. Well, almost alone. He heard the loud thudding noise of paws trotting against the stone floor. Heaving a deep breath, Artemis began to walk backwards, vaguely wondering why he had not asked Eurydice for a weapon. A lapse in intelligence which, for the moment, he would blame on death.

Gradually, Artemis met the end of the cave, still not having caught sight of the three-headed dog. Once he stepped out onto the shores of Styx, there was a bit more light, and he could see that the mouth of the cave was massive.

Artemis still heard the echoing sound of paws, and knew that soon enough he would meet the creature. He stared intently at the opening of the cave, and sure enough, Artemis Fowl was correct.

It started with a wet, black nose, roughly the size of a dinner plate. Then came the first paw, which could have flattened an SUV. Slowly, but surely, Cerberus emerged from the cave, Artemis' confidence inching away little by little, until the dog was standing completely outside of the cave, staring at the tiny mortal with hungry, blood red eyes.

"Cerberus," Artemis gulped. The dog, looking very much like a mastiff, seemed to have heard him. He cocked his head to the side, and growled ever so slightly. And then, Cerberus began to bark, and it took Artemis all his might not to cover his ears. The bark was louder than a rock concert and made Artemis cringe.

Suddenly, without any warning, Cerberus' left head lunged straight towards Artemis. The man barely had time to react, rolling out of the way just as the razor sharp teeth ripped through the soil of the riverbank.

Artemis quickly thought about what Eurydice had told him. There wasn't much he could do with the water, as Cerberus was massive and he doubted whatever water he could splash on the beast would do nothing but make him angrier.

Now, what about heat? There was no heat in the Underworld. Unless…

An idea had struck Artemis. He focused intently on Cerberus, on the fact that he was the only thing standing separating him from Holly. Anger and longing bubbled in his chest. From what he had learned being married to Holly, magic was greatly influenced by emotions. The more one felt the stronger their magic was.

Before he could explain what had happened, a slick stream of fire shot from his palms, which, luckily, were not in his pockets, but rather pointing to the ground. Cerberus seemed taken aback by this, a slight whimper escaping his throat, although it sounded more like the roar of a jet engine.

Artemis smirked, focusing and channelling his emotions. The water from the river had worked. Eurydice would be pleased. And apparently, so would Persephone. This time, Artemis aimed and shot the fire straight towards Cerberus, who backed up slowly.

"Good boy," he said, much more confident now, "Sit!"

The dog did not listen, so Artemis sent a tiny bit more fire right above his head. The dog growled, but sat down grudgingly, still glaring at Artemis as though he would make a fine meal.

"Good boy," Artemis repeated, his arms still raised in case the creature decided to change its mind.

And suddenly, the shore of Styx disappeared and the throne room of Hades and Persephone appeared. Cerberus was gone, and in his place stood five familiar figures; Charon, Eurydice, Hades, Persephone, and…

"Holly," he breathed. Without another word, he ran across the throne room, Holly meeting him halfway. Artemis scooped up his wife and swung her around, a smile on both their faces. After a few moments, the sound of faint applause echoed throughout the room. Artemis spun around and saw Charon, looking quite bored and clapping sarcastically.

"Do I have to bring the brats back up river?" he asked. Persephone nodded, glaring at her husband who half-heartedly did the same thing.

"You did very well Artemis Fowl," Persephone said, "I am quite amazed. As I promised, both your lives will be returned, and the mortal world will have no recollection of you ever having been deceased. Now go, before Charon gets an ulcer."

The transporter shot Persephone a brief dirty look, which she ignored, instead returned to her throne, followed by her husband.

"I can't believe you came to save me," Holly grinned, "You're crazy."

"Maybe," Artemis muttered, "Maybe." He glanced back at Eurydice, who stood in far corner, smiling, with tears streaming down her ashen cheeks. Holly followed his gaze, and then looked up at her husband knowingly.

"She helped you, didn't she?"

Artemis nodded, "She lost a loved one as well."

"Yes, but I didn't think that Arinna was one to help others."

Artemis was about to question that when he remembered that Holly saw something completely different than he did. He told Holly to wait one moment and approached the corner in which Eurydice stood. The girl quickly tried to hide her tears.

"You were amazing," she said, "What are you waiting for? Go be all Romeo or whatever."

"Eurydice," Artemis began sadly, "I could have never done this without you. I owe you a lot." He paused for a moment to glance over his shoulder, catching Holly's eye. His look told her everything she needed to know. Holly nodded and smiled.

"I would rather die," he continued, "than live with a guilty conscience. This is why you're going to take my place in the land of the living." Eurydice's eyes grew wide and she shook her head vigorously.

"I…I can't," she stuttered, "Don't be stupid. Go back."

"Too late," Artemis said, turning away from Eurydice and towards the thrones, with two eight foot tall occupants.

"Lord Hades, Lady Persephone, I wish to propose a trade."

"A trade?" Hades echoed, "What sort of trade?"

"The souls of Holly and myself, for the souls of Orpheus and Eurydice."

A silence fell over the throne room and Charon took the opportunity to sigh dramatically. Hades hissed at him to shut up and threw a gold coin in his direction.

"Interesting," Persephone mumbled, "After all you've done to get here?" 

Artemis nodded bravely. Holly stepped up to his side, her head held high. Artemis couldn't help but smile faintly, wondering what exactly Frond looked like.

"Very well then," Persephone said, "So be it." She snapped her fingers and Artemis instantly felt weaker. He looked at Holly, and noticed that her nut brown skin was now ghastly grey. He reached for her hand and grasped it tightly. The two looked over at Eurydice, who now looked completely different.

Her white hair had turned to a bright blonde colour and her eyes a vibrant blue. The waist-length braids were replaced by a messy ponytail. She looked all the world like a regular human being. Beside her, slowly materializing was a young man, strong and handsome, with curly dark hair and deep chestnut eyes.

"Orpheus," Eurydice sighed. She leapt into his arms and began to cry. Tears leaked down his cheeks as he ran his fingers through her blonde hair. Charon cleared his throat loudly.

"I hate to break up the reunion, but I have a schedule to keep."

Eurydice and Orpheus looked at each other and rolled their eyes. The two began to follow Charon out of the throne room, Eurydice explaining iPods to Orpheus, who looked extremely confused.

"And as for you two," Persephone muttered to Holly and Artemis. She snapped her fingers and they were instantly transported, hand in hand, to the Fields of Asphodel.

Inside the palace of Hades and Persephone, the great Greek tragedies were re-weaving themselves. The banner telling the story of Orpheus and Eurydice slowly unwound itself, changing to a new form. Once it was finished, there was a picture of a pale man in a suit, clasping the hand of a much shorter woman with bright auburn hair.

**The End**

-x-x-x-

_A/N: It's over! I'm so sad. I hope you liked that! Please review and let me know what you think. Cheers! And I love you all so much!_

_-Liv xoxo_


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